Jack Reynor Was ‘Afraid’ to Play Han Solo in Disney’s ‘Star Wars’ Prequel

If we live to be a hundred years old, we may never see another casting process take the internet by storm quite like Disney’s untitled Han Solo movie. Some rumors suggest that the studio looked at thousands of actors for the iconic Star Wars character; this led to dozens of different alleged studio shortlists for the role. Remember when Miles Teller and Dave Franco were the names most likely to step into Harrison Ford’s shoes? That took place one year and about a million Star Wars rumors ago.

And then there was Jack Reynor, another actor who spent months in the spotlight and made it all the way to the final stages of the casting process before Disney decided to go in another direction. In a recent conversation with The Irish Times(via Heroic Hollywood), Reynor opened up a little about his interview process for Han Solo and why he’s fairly relieved he didn’t get the role:

That Han Solo movie is going to be really tough. I think the guy who is doing it is a really good actor, but, for myself, I was afraid of it. I kept thinking: if you f --- this up you’ll ruin people’s childhoods. If it doesn’t turn out great, you won’t be forgiven. That’s a lot of responsibility. And even if it goes great, you’ll do it, people will know you only from that and that defines your career. That would be very difficult.

With movies like Sing Streetand Free Firealready under his belt, Jack Reynor’s is a star already on the rise; being cast as Han Solo in Disney’s untitled prequel would have only shortcut a process well underway. That being said, it’s always interesting to hear actors talk about the pressure that comes with playing an already iconic role. For every Chris Evans — an actor who approaches his iconic role with respect — you have an entire Twilight cast who would give anything to hit the reset button on their acting careers. While I’m certain that Alden Ehrenreich will do a great job in the film, Reynor will probably sleep easier knowing his reputation as an actor isn’t being held hostage by Disney.